Posted 8:08 PM by Bonnie

Richard Joseph Foster - March 30, 1949 - March 28, 2006

I received a phone call, from the wife of my best friend, telling me he had passed away in his sleep. It’s not that I wasn’t expecting the call. He has been very ill for some time, but still we had planned on seeing each other one more time.

Rick and I have been best friends since we were 15 years old. More than friends a lot of the time. We have been friends and lovers over the years. Even though our paths took us in different directions from time to time, we always found our way back to each other, and we both thought we had time for one more reunion. I would call him every Sunday and we would chat for hours. He and my husband Keith became phone pals because they had so much in common. We hadn’t talked for a few weeks because he had problems with his throat and was having more and more shortness of breath. But, he never told me it was emphysema! He only told me it was nothing and he would talk to me soon, when his voice cleared up. He never told his wife what was really wrong. That’s typical of him. And right now I am not sure whether to be angry or sad. He should have let us know so we could have been better prepared. I’m at least glad he died in his sleep, but still… we were supposed to get together one more time! Damn you, Rick! If I had known I could have come for a weekend at least, but no, he had to keep pretending we were going to get together again, when all along he knew it wasn’t going to happen.

Over the years we have been in and out of each others lives. When we were 50 and both getting divorced, we decided to start that music business we had talked about so much, over the years, since we were those young 15 year old kids with pipe dreams. We did and the business lasted 3 years. Oh, we never made much money, but we had fun! And then I left and went back to PA and ended up here in SC. Rick was in FL. We weren’t that far apart, but still we never made it for that one last reunion.

When I talked with his wife this evening she said he always talked about me and how much he loved me. On the computer she found a will, a list of contacts and my name was in BIG letters and BOLD print. There were some things he wanted me to have and she is sending them on to me. How do you say goodbye to someone who has been part of your life for so long.

We both loved to write songs and of course, wrote songs for each other from time to time. This is the last one I wrote for him.

Round and Round

Round and round we go again,
First we’re lovers, then we’re friends,
Just when we think it’s over,
Is when it really just begins.

We’ve shared each other’s hopes and dreams,
Broken hearts and childhood schemes.
I held your hand, you held mine,
From milk and cookies to glasses of wine.

From golden hair to shades of gray,
We’ve grown past the childish play,
You go here and I go there,
But in our hearts we’ll always care.

And round and round we go again,
First we’re lovers, then we’re friends.
Just when we think it’s over,
Is really when it just begins.

From the day we met the friendship grew,
When I hurt I ran to you,
And when your heart was broken beyond repair,
You knew you’d always find me there.

With and open heart and open arms,
I tried to keep you safe from harm,
And it was always you I’d call,
When I’d feel myself begin to fall.

Now round and round we go again,
First we’re lovers, then we’re friends,
Just when we think it’s over,
Is when it really just begins.

Here we are after all these years,
Through the laughter and all the tears,
Reaching out for each others hand,
Looking for someone who will understand.

Not judge, condemn, or place any blame,
Some to ease the hurt and shame.
There are times when you need me, and I need you,
When only the closeness of an old friend will do.

And round and round we go again,
First we’re lovers then we’re friends,
Just when we think it’s over,
Is when it really just begins.

Good bye, Rick. You may be gone physically, but you have left a legacy behind in your music and your songs.